1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a case flow system which is especially useful for managing inventory in a warehouse.
2. Background of the Art
Case flow systems are typically employed by distributors in warehouses for managing the inflow and outflow of cases of merchandise, or inventory, from manufacturers to retailers. The distributors temporarily store the variety of goods received from the manufacturer, and ship selected goods to the retailers in accordance with demand as determined by the consumer purchases.
Case flow structures are equipped with a roller bed including a plurality of wheels mounted to steel axles joined to a pair of side rails. Case flow roller beds are typically inclined. Thus, the cases, or cartons, of merchandise are loaded onto the rear of the roller bed and are allowed to “flow” towards the front under the force of gravity. The cases are manually retrieved from the front of the case flow roller bed.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,073,743 to Mefford discloses a case flow system comprising a roller bed equipped with a plurality of independent wheels disposed in a spaced apart relationship along a set of steel axles joined to a pair of side rails. A plurality of inverted generally U-shaped support members extend from the rear to the front of each bed and are located adjacent the wheels. The support members rest upon, and transfer the load to, cross beams disposed underneath the support members, which reduces the load on the axles.